New England Patriots: What we learned from Week 16 vs. Bills
What we learned from the New England Patriots’ victory on Sunday.
The New England Patriots returned to their winning ways Sunday, beating the Buffalo Bills by a score of 24-12, and snapping their two-game losing streak.
In addition, the Patriots retook the second-seed in the AFC as the Houston Texans fell 32-30 to the Philadelphia Eagles. With a win against the New York Jets on Sunday, New England will be guaranteed a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Here are three takeaways from this week’s Patriots victory:
Run, Run, Rudolph
The Patriots had no trouble establishing the run game, as they amassed 273 yards rushing against the Bills defense.
Rookie running back Sony Michel led the team with 116 rushing yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson added 66 yards of his own. Running back James White found pay dirt on a 27-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and finished the game with 41 yards on the ground.
The Patriots entered Week 16 having failed to surpass 100 yards rushing in each of their last two games. Needless to say, Sunday’s performance was as strong a bounce-back as they could have asked for.
Pass game woes continue
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On a day when the Pats’ running game couldn’t be stopped, their passing attack hardly got moving.
Tom Brady was held to 126 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions against Buffalo’s pass defense. Wide receiver Julian Edelman was New England’s top target, hauling in six grabs for 70 yards and a touchdown.
Rob Gronkowski was targeted three times but finished the game without a catch, and saw a pass intended for him be intercepted when it sailed right through his hands. Wide receiver Chris Hogan was not targeted by Brady for the first time this season.
Players like Gronkowski and Hogan are essential to the New England’s passing attack, especially now that Josh Gordon is suspended. Expect the two receivers to take on larger workloads with the postseason looming.
The rookie continues to shine
Rookie cornerback JC Jackson notched his third interception of the season with an athletic, leaping grab in the second quarter.
“I just happened to look back at him and I read his eyes the whole play,” Jackson told reporters postgame.
The undrafted rookie earned his fourth-straight start at cornerback, playing all 61 defensive snaps, and continued to impress alongside Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore.
Cornerback Jason McCourty had two takeaways, including a forced fumble in the third quarter and a leaping interception of his own in the fourth. The Patriots have 18 interceptions this season, their most since 2012 (20).